


Tsubaki

by underneathestars



Category: Joker Game (Anime)
Genre: Jitsui and Fukumoto don't talk much, M/M, Secret Santa, especially Jitsui
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-25
Updated: 2016-12-25
Packaged: 2018-09-12 04:01:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,381
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9054541
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/underneathestars/pseuds/underneathestars
Summary: Emma's learning all about flowers and puts her knowledge to use.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Secret Santa gift to Quinn ♡ Hope you enjoy this!  
> And to everyone celebrating, Merry Christmas! Hope you all had a lovely day :)
> 
> Little note regarding the flowers:  
> Himawari = sunflower  
> Tsubaki = camellia

Emma gently brushes her fingers against the petals and puts down the notebook she'd been holding.

The steps between her and Yuuki's desk are few and she takes them while looking down at her feet, holding the flower in her hand behind her, and stops to look up at Yuuki, eyes bright and excited.

Yuuki continues jotting down something and doesn't look up, leaving the room to be bathed with silence, and Emma waits a few more seconds before slowly placing the flower on top of his desk.

Yuuki's hand stops, glancing at the flower once, then at Emma quietly and expecting, and Emma prides herself in knowing with no words said what he's expecting her to say now.

"Himawari. Respect." Emma's rewarded with a smile and it has her giggling, bashfully looking down at her feet.

"That's enough for today," Emma nods her head at Yuuki's words, "Tomorrow you're going to go over everything with Miyoshi."

Emma nods her head again and she doesn't have to ask to know he's busy and so is Amari, because it's always them who teach her everything. Should the occasion arise that they're both busy, that's when one of her uncle's is assigned to help her with her studies.

She grabs her notebook and turns to face Yuuki again before leaving and he speaks, "Your uncles are well informed about this topic."

Emma blinks her eyes slowly, having difficulties understanding what Yuuki actually means by those words, and she's just about to consider it as a normal statement when everything sinks in and her eyes widen in glee. She smiles brightly, "All of them?"

"Except one."

Emma nods her head, "I understand!"

 

* * *

  


Amari tucks Emma in her bed, smiling gently at the way she weakly holds his hand. Her eyes shut and her breathing soft and steady, and Amari can tell she's just on the verge of sleeping.

"Goodnight." Amari slowly puts her hand down turns to leave when she grabs his hand again, this time tightly, "What's wrong, Emma?"

Emma's eyes are shut as she mumbles, "Tsubaki. It’s the perfect one."

Emma falls asleep and Amari blinks his eyes in confusion.

_What?_

* * *

_  
_

Emma stops writing down in her notebook and takes a quick glance towards Miyoshi and this time Miyoshi looks back at her, leaving her smiling bashfully at him

“What is it?” Miyoshi asks.

“Nothing at all.”

“This is the sixth time you’ve glanced at me. Are you struggling with what I asked you to write? You’ve barely written a thing.” Miyoshi watches her as she glances at her notebook and back at him while shaking her head.

“No, it’s not that,” She pauses, looking once more at her notebook, “Actually, I’m having a bit of trouble, but no never mind.”

She goes back to her writing and Miyoshi continues watching her, knowing she’s going to blurt out everything in _three…two…one―_

 “Uncle Miyoshi―” She bites her lips, quickly placing her hand on top of her mouth, when Miyoshi raises his brows at her, “I mean, nii-san.”

“Yes?”

“I’ve been learning about flowers recently and what they mean, right?” Miyoshi nods his head, prompting her to continue talking, “What does tsubaki mean?”

“It depends on the colour,” Miyoshi pauses, “For example, say it’s―”

“White!”

Miyoshi nods his head, allowing her just this time to interrupt him, “If it’s white, then it means waiting.”

Emma tilts her thoughtfully and adds, “What if it’s yellow?”

“Longing.”

“Longing?” Emma repeats, “What would you mean by that?”

This is why he hates teaching Emma. She’s a child and children have this bothersome habit of constantly asking questions. One question leads to another and eventually leads to a never ending cycle of questions.

“I suppose it depends on the person and what longing means to them.”

“As in?”

Miyoshi shrugs, “Who knows? Maybe for someone it would be longing to be with that person. Or longing to―”

Miyoshi pauses, glancing at Emma who’s looking up at him eyes bright with curiosity, and no, Emma’s too young to learn about _that_.

“Longing to…do things with the other person.”

“Things like wha―”

“Just anything.” Miyoshi interrupts her and she nods her head, looking down seemingly contemplating and understanding all that she’s been told, and Miyoshi hears Fukumoto’s chuckle.

He looks back at him to find him wearing a blank expression as he continues preparing dinner, and if Miyoshi didn’t know better, he would have believed that Fukumoto hadn’t been chuckling just a moment ago.

“Then,” Emma’s voice grabs his attention again, “What do red ones mean?”

“To be in love.” Miyoshi answers her and she bites her lips.

“Christmas is four days away and mommy used to tell me it’s a special day. Nii-san, is there anyone you would want to give them a red tsubaki to soon?” Emma asks, voice quieter, and Miyoshi’s eyes widen slightly, having not expected that, and he hears a clanking as Fukumoto drops the knife he’d been holding on the ground.

Fukumoto’s still wearing the same blank expression as he picks up the knife and Miyoshi glares at him, “Did you injure yourself?”

“I’m incapable of injuring myself in the kitchen.” Fukumoto answers, voice monotone, and yet Miyoshi could feel him boasting his cooking skills, especially in front of him who’s the least skilled in this department out of the eight of them. Fukumoto goes back to preparing dinner, seeming as if nothing had occurred, and Miyoshi looks back at Emma who grins before going back to her writing.

_Why did Amari have to bring back Emma from his mission?_

_  
_

* * *

  


Amari turns the paper in his hand, “Is that all?”

“Yeah. That’s it.” Fukumoto says and Amari nods his head.

“Okay, I’m leaving now then― Ah, Hatano! You’re leaving now too?”

Hatano nods his head, “Yeah, I’m just leaving to get something for my cat―”

“Great! We can go together!” Hatano’s eyes widen as Amari grabs his hand, pulling him out with him.

“Oh shit―Amari, no! You get distracted by everything!”

Amari chuckles to that as they both head out and Sakuma furrows his brows at them.

“Where are they going?” Sakuma asks.

“I sent Amari to get the groceries.” Sakuma nods his head before furrowing his brows again at him.

“Getting the groceries? Aren’t you the one who always gets them?” Sakuma asks again and Fukumoto nods his head.

“Yeah, but the lady working in the grocery store is gone for couple of weeks and another lady is in her place now.” Fukumoto says and it still does nothing to answer Sakuma’s question.

“And?”

“The guy who works in the shop adjacent to it is still there. If he sees me flirting with the new lady, he might tell her when she comes back and we’ll stop getting discounts. So I sent someone else to be friendly with the new lady.” Fukumoto further explains and Sakuma sighs.

“Just how far are you willing to go just to get discounts for the groceries?”

“I have no limits.”

“Uncle Sakuma!” Sakuma turns around at the mention of his name and smiles at Emma, “Let’s take Frate out for a walk!”

“Me?” Sakuma asks and she nods her head eagerly.

“Yes, you. I was supposed to go with her but it seems she wants you. You wouldn’t say no to Emma, _right_?” Jitsui says from where he stands behind Emma, that smile plastered across his face seeming nothing close to being friendly and innocent.

And Sakuma would be out of his mind to say no to that smile.

“Y―yeah, let’s go Emma.”

  


* * *

  


“Hatano, look!”

“ _Hatano, look!_ Yeah, I could tell everyone those were your last words before I murder you.”

Hatano sighs exasperatedly when Amari laughs in response instead.

“But Hatano, look at that fish.” Hatano grabs the grocery list from Amari and lets out a long breath and shows it to Amari.

“Does it say fish?” Hatano asks, his patience long worn out from Amari and Amari hums.

“No.”

“Then why have we been standing here for over ten minutes staring at the fish?” Hatano asks as he huffs out a breath, “Don’t tell me because they look interesting.”

Amari chuckles, “Well, you’re not giving me any option here, are you?”

Hatano pinches the bridge of his nose before looking back at the paper, “Amari, we got everything on the list.”

“Yeah. That was a long time ago.”

Hatano holds his head, feeling a headache forming, and lets out a long exasperated sound at the back of his throat, “Amari. Let’s go back.”

“Okay,” Amari simple answers, “But we didn’t get whatever you were planning on getting your cat―”

“I don’t care anymore!” Hatano grunts, “Why are you such an airhead?!”

Amari doesn’t stop this time at any spot as they start making their way back and Hatano’s thankful for that until of course he stops in his track and Hatano groans, “What now?”

Amari points to the flower shop and mutters, “Tsubaki. Emma was mentioning it last night.”

“You want to get it for her?” Hatano asks and Amari grins.

“I know what to get!”

Amari heads inside the shop and Hatano sighs, shaking his head slightly at him. He looks around as he awaits Amari, and notices there aren’t many people in here. Thinking about it now, Hatano has only been here once before and it had been with Amari as well. Amari has always been like this, never having a regular fixed path to any destination, choosing to take a different path nearly every day, and this habit has increased ever since he stepped back into the agency while holding Emma in his arms.

_Every day is an adventure with him!_

Emma always says that, and Hatano can agree with that. Although he’d prefer it being a non-headache inducing adventure.

Amari steps out of the shop and Hatano furrows his brows at the single white tsubaki he’s holding.

“That’s what you got her?”

“It’s not for Emma,” Amari grins, “A white tsubaki means?”

Amari asks, awaiting Hatano to answer him, and Hatano goes along with him, knowing that’s the quickest way to get this done with, “Waiting.”

“Exactly, and who have I made wait a lot today?” Amari asks again and Hatano furrows his brows.

“What―”

“It’s you!” Amari pushes the tsubaki into Hatano’s hand, chuckling as he mentions how amusing and entertaining today has been, and Hatano can feel his headache getting worse.

Hatano groans loudly, “This is the last time I’m ever going with you anywhere!”

  


* * *

  


It happens the same night, three days before Christmas, and when everyone has gone to bed.

It’s quiet and Miyoshi remains alone in the kitchen, gently touching the red cool petals of the single tsubaki he’d gotten earlier.

He hears very familiar footsteps and hides the flower behind the book he’d been holding and looks down at the book, idly going through it.

“You’re here.” Sakuma’s voice is quiet and Miyoshi doesn’t look towards him, continuing to go through the book.

Sakuma walks towards him and plops down in the chair next to Miyoshi and remains quiet for a few seconds until Miyoshi notices at the corner of his eyes Sakuma dropping something he’d been apparently holding the entire time on the table.

Miyoshi looks up from his book, keeping it up and intact to not fall and destroy the tsubaki he’s got hiding behind it. The other tsubaki that’s on the table, because right now there are two of them. Because there where Sakuma had just placed it, is another red flower, very similar to Miyoshi’s.

Miyoshi smirks and glances at Sakuma who’s kept his gaze forward, staring at the flower he’s just placed, and not meeting Miyoshi’s eyes.

“You took Frate out for a walk with Emma today.  Of course that would happen,” Miyoshi’s voice has Sakuma looking back at him chuckling slightly, “She told you about the flowers.”

“Yeah,” Sakuma nods his head slowly and pauses for a moment, “And I’m guessing you know what it means?”

“Emma was asking me about them yesterday. So, yes.”

Sakuma looks back at the tsubaki sitting between them and sighs. He parts his mouth, seeming ready to say something, but Miyoshi beats him to it, “Christmas is in three days and usually people exchange gifts, right?”

Sakuma blinks his eyes but nods his head, his voice coming out quiet as he replies, “Yeah.”

“Okay. Then close your eyes.”

“Huh?” Sakuma looks at him and Miyoshi smirks.

“What? You gave me your gift so I’m going to give you mine now.”

Sakuma parts his mouth but stops himself from speaking and nods his head, as he looks away and shuts his eyes.

Miyoshi stares at Sakuma for a moment, smiling gently, before picking up his tsubaki, the one hiding behind the book, and decides it no longer should be hidden. He places it next to the one Sakuma had brought.

“Okay, you can open your eyes.”

Miyoshi watches Sakuma as he opens his eyes and bites his lips from smiling at the way his eyes widen when it falls on the two flowers and looks back at Miyoshi, “How? You―I mean― You had―What?”

Miyoshi can’t stop himself this time from chuckling at Sakuma’s reaction and Sakuma smiles before chuckling quietly himself too.

“Emma is learning well from all of you.”

Miyoshi nods his head and finds himself growing curious.

_If that was Sakuma’s reaction to the flower, then…_

Miyoshi doesn’t think about it and leans forward, placing a quick kiss against Sakuma’s cheek, and Sakuma’s eyes widen, and Miyoshi chuckles again when Sakuma’s quickly hides his face.

“I―I wasn’t expecting that. But,” Sakuma removes his hand and smiles confidently now, “It was a good surprise.”

Miyoshi hums, “Of course, it’s me.”

Sakuma shakes his head slightly but Miyoshi doesn’t miss seeing his gentle smile.

Maybe Emma is an annoyance at times, but it doesn’t mean she’s a bad addition.

 

* * *

  


The two red flowers left on top of the table were enough for everyone to understand what has happened without a word being uttered.

The only words that were exchanged were between Yuuki and Emma as he looked at her and said,

“You did great.”

And Emma nodded her head, confidently saying,

“Looking forward for my next mission.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading ♡  
> Tumblr: [lookslikerainydays](http://lookslikerainydays.tumblr.com)


End file.
